There were mixed emotions running through me prior to screening Man of Steel. On one hand, my anticipation for this was years in the making, and easily eclipsed any other film in recent memory. I mean after all, this was Superman we were dealing with, and as a life-long fan, a new cinematic tale about him was about to unfold before me, so there’s a lot to be excited about. On the other, there is the dreaded word “reboot”, which far too often comes with the notion of throwing out anything to do with the old, simply for the sake of something “fresh” or “edgy”. Had Big Blue been made into a 90’s era anti-hero a la Spawn or Wolverine, simply for the sake of making kids think he was “cool”? Then there was the interesting pairing of Nolan and Snyder. I have always enjoyed Christopher Nolan’s work, and while director Zack Snyder has made some visually impressive films, he often can let the narrative suffer for the imagery out in front. Could this odd couple pairing make the Last Son of Krypton once again a cinematic heavyweight, or would it be a cluttered spectacle where 2 separate visions were warring against each other?
Looking back a week later now, there was never anything to worry about. This film is the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup of movie-making; truly the best of both worlds. Alongside an amazing narrative full of characters with emotional depth and true core motivations are some of the most jaw-dropping, awe-inspiring super hero feats to date. This is the Superman film fans have wanted for years. This is the Superman film I’ve waited a lifetime for.
It would be nearly impossible to give any critique to this film without first acknowledging how truly perfect Henry Cavill is for the role of both Clark Kent and Superman. As a child of the 80’s, Christopher Reeve was indelibly Superman to me, and an entire generation. He had the look, the voice, the demeanor…it was just Superman, not an actor playing him. I can say at no point however during the nearly 2 and half hour running time though, did I once think about Reeve. Cavill simply transformed into the role of Superman onscreen, and for me, that was the entire key to this working. Bravo sir…bravo.
The supporting cast around Mr. Cavill is equally as strong. 2 standouts come in the form of Russell Crowe as Jor-El and Kevin Costner as Jonathan Kent. Each brings a unique spin on their comic counterparts and never plays down the characters as a joke or tongue in cheek. This is Superman done on another level, with actors fully committed to making this a wholly-realized world a super-powered alien inhabits.
Amy Adams brings much of the spark and attitude that one would expect from Lois Lane, and further proves she can disappear into any role thrown her way. Laurence Fishburne proves to be an inspired choice for Editor Perry White, and is able to shine in quite a few moments where he’s not just barking orders at the Daily Planet.
Michael Shannon as General Zod is a powerful foe to put up against Superman in his first outing, and makes an impact in the quiet moments as well as the large action beats. His ties to Krypton and Kal-El’s past make his presence all the more meaningful, and Shannon’s performance never comes off as purely maniacal, but more as a leader driven to save his people at any cost.
The action itself is undeniably impressive, and takes what we have seen in previous action films to a whole other level. These are fights with true super-powered heavyweights not pulling punches, and a huge portion of the congrats goes to WETA and their visual effects team for making the greatest super hero of all time a visual reality on the big screen.
The sky is absolutely the limit with where the series goes from here. The foundation that has been set is rock solid, and this is more than simply a reboot or reimagining of the character; this is a re-embracing of what makes Superman great, and now a whole other generation will have a hero inspiring them to put a towel around their neck and jump off the couch in flight.
Grade: A+